Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c27.s10.20

v2.c27.s10.20

Throughout February 1760 the Abdali king was absent campaigning against the Jats and Malhar Holkar in the Bharatpur State and Mewat. On the last day of that month (29th), he returned to the capital, but in a day or two crossed over to the Doab in pursuit of Malhar Holkar, as we have seen in Chapter 19, §15. After expelling the Marathas, he encamped near Aligarh, while Delhi continued in charge of Yaqub Ali Khan with the puppet Emperor Shah Jahan II sitting on the throne and receiving presents from the officials on ceremonial occasions like the Nauroz (20 March.) The political centre of gravity shifted from Delhi to the Doāb, and diplomacy and intrigue were conducted in and from Abdāli’s camp there. At the end of May rumours arose that Shah Alam II, after being defeated by the English in Bihar, was coming at the invitation of Abdāli to ascend the throne in Delhi, but he held back and stopped in south Bihar. [ DC. ]